Corporate Governance and Proxy Trends and the SEC

This session will peel back the results of the most recent proxy season to tease out the important surprises and enduring trends, and then forecast what challenges might be lurking around the corner. The panelists will also discuss the many recent actions and rule proposals by the SEC, on issues ranging from share buybacks, to disclosure rules on climate and cybersecurity, as well as reform of 10b5-1 stock trading plans. How will these changes affect board agendas and shareholder engagement? What are the implications of the universal proxy as it completes its debut proxy season, and how might it affect disclosures going forward? Where are the proposed disclosure rules likely to end up, how likely are they to be challenged, and what other proposed rules can we expect on topics like human capital management? The panelists will discuss which issues are most likely to draw attention next from the SEC, large institutional investors, and the proxy advisory firms and outline the best strategies for avoiding and mitigating the impact of this scrutiny and pressure.